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Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences MSE

Contact NERS Admissions

Image of Garnette Roberts
Garnette Roberts

Graduate Coordinator

John Foster, NERS Graduate Chair and Professor
John Foster

Graduate Chair

Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at Michigan Statistics

No. 1

in Nuclear Engineering

16%

female students

8:1

student-to-faculty ratio

75%

of students admitted to graduate/Ph.D. school

25

students is the average class size

58%

of students earn departmental scholarships

Why Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at Michigan?

A master’s degree affords you the opportunity to specialize beyond the broad base given by the bachelor’s program.

You will be exposed to cutting edge research in topical areas such as fission, detection, plasmas, and nuclear materials. Classes are taught by leading researchers in these topical areas and the student is paired with one for the duration of the degree program to serve as an advisor and mentor. The master’s degree program at Michigan also allows for a seamless transition into the doctoral program.

What can you do with an MSE in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Science?

You may have predicted that we are responsible for the development and maintenance of nuclear reactors, but we’re also doing vastly different, incredible things:

performing and maximizing the success of nuclear fusion to be a sustainable energy source; studying the effect of radiation on materials and on the human body to improve patient care and worker safety; using plasma to purify water, and protecting regular people like you and me from the threat of nuclear weapons.

The master’s program allows the student to specialize and thus opens up a range of specialty areas that the student can move into after graduation. Additionally, management in the areas of research and development often requires a master’s degree. Finally, master’s students enjoy a substantial salary increase relative to bachelor’s students.

Align Your Interest

U-M Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences research spans four major areas:

Courses Offered

Individualized plans of study will be developed by students in consultation with an advisor. Courses offered give students valuable knowledge that is readily translatable in the real-world workplace. For example, nuclear safety, nuclear fuels, advanced reactors, detector laboratory, and plasma diagnostics laboratory coursework all provide insight that is directly usable in the workplace. Click on the Bulletin link for a description of each course.

Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Studies Program (SUGS)

Current University of Michigan engineering students can complete both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in only five years with SUGS by taking some graduate-level classes during your undergraduate years, so you can save yourself one semester and complete a master’s with only two additional semesters.

Practice Your Purpose

Apply the skills you are learning in class to the real world. There is a rich variety of experiential learning opportunities to help you find your niche, connect with people who share your passion, and gain hands-on experience that’ll set your resumé apart from the stack.

Graduate Student Involvement

Alpha Nu Sigma - NERS Honor Society

Alpha Nu Sigma - NERS Honor Society

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American Nuclear Society Student Chapter at the University of Michigan

American Nuclear Society Student Chapter at the University of Michigan

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Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

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Health Physics Society

Health Physics Society

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The Institute of Nuclear Materials Management Student Chapters

The Institute of Nuclear Materials Management Student Chapters

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Professional Development

Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC)

Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC)

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Tau Beta Pi

Tau Beta Pi

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NERS Research

Fission Systems and Radiation Transport

Fission Systems and Radiation Transport

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Materials and Radiation Effects

Materials and Radiation Effects

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Radiation Measurements and Imaging

Radiation Measurements and Imaging

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Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion

Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion

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Research Videos

Alumni Bios

Each of these alumni were once in your shoes, deciding on a master’s degree. Explore their educational path and how it set their life in motion.

Image of Ciara Sivels

Ciara Sivels

MSE Biomedical Engineering, 2004; MSE Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, 2015

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Senior Professional Staff

Image of Hunter Phillip Smith

Hunter Phillip Smith

MSE Nuclear Engineering, 2017

Holtec International

Nuclear Engineer

Image of Joel A. Kulesza

Joel A. Kulesza

MSE Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, 2016

Los Alamos National Laboratory

R&D Scientist

Image on Xiaojin Shen

Xiaojin Shen

MSE Nuclear Engineering, 2017

Varian Medical Systems

System Engineering Physicist

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Paul Fessler

MS Nuclear Engineering, 1976; MBA, 1984

DTE Energy

Chief Nuclear Officer

Image of Y. Andy Boucher

Y. Andy Boucher

MSE Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, 2009

H3D, Inc

Sales Director

Image of Ciara Sivels

Ciara Sivels

University of Michigan, BSE Chemical Engineering 2001

University of Michigan, MSE Biomedical Engineering, 2004

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, BS Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2013

University of Michigan, MSE Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, 2015

University of Michigan, PhD Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, 2018

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Senior Professional Staff

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Career Summary

During my time at Michigan I learned how to use a Monte Carlo radiation transport tool, MCNP. I also was the GSI for two courses using this code so I gained a lot of experience troubleshooting and teaching others to use it. The experiences at Michigan allowed me to acquire the job at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) since MCNP is required for my work.

I’ve participated in many interviews talking about my experience. I was the Black History Month speaker at WPI in February 2019.  Currently at APL, I volunteer with the STEM office. I also participate in the National Society of Black Engineers DC Professionals chapter.

Reflection on Time at UM

  • Favorite Events: My favorite events were the ones where we got to dress up like the Graduate Student Ball by RSG. 
  • Favorite Student Orgs: I was very active in Society of Minority Engineers and Scientists- Graduate Component (SMES-G). Xplore Engineering and  Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) were my favorite outreach programs.

Advice to Students

Have work life balance but always focus on your goals. 

Image of Hunter Phillip Smith

Hunter Phillip Smith

University of Michigan, BSE Nuclear Engineering, 2016 

University of Michigan, MSE Nuclear Engineering, 2017

Holtec International

Nuclear Engineer

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Career Summary

In the last two years of my schooling, I worked closely with Dr. Thomas Downer. The projects he had me work on helped me become much more intimate with the industry-standard modeling codes (e.g., SERPENT, PARCS) than if I had only taken the senior design course, etc. This helped me stand out and gave me a good basis for learning other codes (MCNP).

Advice to Students

Get involved with a professor and see if there is a project you can help them out on over the summer, etc. They are very knowledgeable and know a lot of people. Think about what you might like to do after you graduate and find a professor that does something like that. Also, try to get at least one internship. This will make you a prime candidate, and you will be able to pick and choose job offers.

Image of Joel A. Kulesza

Joel A. Kulesza

University of Michigan, BSE Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, 2006

University of Tennessee, MS Nuclear Engineering, 2011 

University of Michigan, MSE Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, 2016

University of Michigan, Graduate Certificate Computational Discovery & Engineering, 2016

University of Michigan, PhD Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, 2018

Los Alamos National Laboratory

R&D Scientist

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Career Summary

Throughout my roles at various companies, I’ve had the opportunity to keep learning new technical and communication skills. This has helped me stay interested in my work, expand my professional network, advance my career, and provide benefit to my employer. After eight years in industry I returned to graduate school to refocus on my technical skills while incorporating some of my experience gained from having worked in industry. Combining practice and theory has helped me improve my understanding of both and has positioned me to continue learning while performing research and development in my chosen field.

Advice to Students

Be curious, be interested, be proactive, be well rounded, and guide your own career in a fulfilling and impactful direction.

Career Timeline

  • Westinghouse Electric Company
  • Knoll's Atomic Power Laboratory
  • University of Michigan
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory
Image on Xiaojin Shen

Xiaojin Shen

Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University, BS Atomic Physics and Thermal Engineering, 2015

University of Michigan, MSE Nuclear Engineering, 2017

Varian Medical Systems

System Engineering Physicist

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Career Summary

Since childhood, I have been curious about science and technology innovation, especially physics to explain the physical property and phenomena of the things in the world. As I grow old, life events triggered me to seek practical solutions that may improve or save people’s lives. Soon after I got my masters degree in 2017, a dramatic event made a huge impact on my later life; both my grandma and aunt died of lung cancer, one after another only 5 months apart. While in shock and deep sadness, I wanted to devote myself to something that can attack this devastating disease. I immediately took a position as a research assistant to join a cancer research program in the school of medicine at the Radiation Oncology Department of the University of Michigan, conducting research under Professor Yue Cao and collaborated with Professor Martha Matuszak. In order to make a more direct and immediate impact, I started looking for opportunities in the radiation oncology industry. 

My research experiences background at the University of Michigan helps me a lot to stand out from the applicants for the industries. I am learning in an engineering role in the industries and I am passionate about research and development especially in a physics-related discipline which aligned with my major. Thanks to UM and NERS for providing me with a lot of learning, research, and cross-disciplined study opportunities, that I also remembered during the summer of 2016, I joined a JUACEP program through UM to conduct research in professor Youichi Enokida’s lab at Nagoya University in Japan. I can understand this world more by doing the projects, in the meantime, I would gradually realize what I am interested in and curious about by giving the direction on how you can become better.

Reflection on Time Spent U-M

I am always ready to help other people who are in needs. For example, when I was in high school, there was a huge earthquake in Sichuan of China in 2008. At that time, I volunteered to support those affected local students to recover from the disaster, one of the activities including writing letters to answer the questions from those students in math, physics and chemistry subjects. In my spare time, I like hiking, running, mountain and rock climbing and have some other fun activities.

Favorite Student Orgs

UM SF Alumni, UM Silicon Valley Alumni, NERS ANS students chapter, Student Astronomical Society, CEN

Favorite Classes

As English is not my native language, I may highlight the courses from the ELI department, such as academic writing, research paper writing, pronunciation courses, etc.

Image of Paul Fessler

Paul Fessler

University of Michigan, BS Nuclear Engineering, 1974

University of Michigan, MS Nuclear Engineering, 1976

University of Michigan, MBA, 1984

DTE Energy

Chief Nuclear Officer

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Career Summary

Looking back, it seems like a long journey. I started working at a coal plant because nuclear construction was in a pause at the time. I wasn’t thrilled, but looking back, this added greatly to my experience and ended up helping me in the future.

When I went to nuclear I was a test engineer which was one of the most enjoyable periods of my career. Testing and starting up plant systems was very satisfying and a great learning experience. Over the next 15 years, I spent time in many areas of plant operation: operations, maintenance, training, and engineering, eventually becoming plant manager. During that time I also went through the training to become licensed as a Senior Reactor Operator. The time and effort to become an SRO was just as hard as getting my BS but a lot more intense.

After several years as plant manager, I was asked to go back to Fossil Generation to help improve fossil plant performance. I became VP of Fossil Generation and eventually SVP of Electric Operations, responsible for all Fossil Generation and Electric Distribution. Recently, I was asked to come back to Nuclear as the Chief Nuclear Officer.

Every job I’ve had I viewed as a challenge and learning opportunity. Over my career, I’ve learned that knowing the technical side of your job is important but my success, as I look over my career, and what led to my opportunities to move was more about engaging and getting the most out of the people I worked with and who worked for me. The hardest work I have had was about changing an organizations’ performance or culture. Dealing with equipment, solving technical problems isn’t easy but there is a defined methodology, not so with people.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

The entire college experience was the best time of my life. The freedom I had to explore my interests and connect with such a variety of people is something that becomes much harder to do as you enter the workforce. Socially, there was such a variety of things to do, it seemed endless.

Advice to Students

My advice to anyone ready to graduate and getting ready for a career: seek out ways to challenge yourself. I am very impressed with and remember those people who step up and volunteer or ask for challenging/new assignments, even though outside their normal area of responsibility. Your career can go in many directions, very different than you may have planned. What I look for when opportunities arise are articulate, capable people willing to accept a challenge. That is what allowed a Nuclear Engineer to run a fossil fleet and a distribution system that serves 2.3 million people.

Image of Y. Andy Boucher

Y. Andy Boucher

University of Michigan, BSE Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, 2008

University of Michigan, MSE Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, 2009

University of Michigan, PhD Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, 2013

H3D, Inc

Sales Director

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Career Summary

After my time at the University of Michigan, I moved to H3D, a startup company that spun out of the research group I was in at the University of Michigan. I started as the product manager, where I interacted with customers to understand their needs for the radiation detection equipment that was designed, manufactured and sold by H3D. Additionally, I was responsible for managing the products through the development process and during continuous improvement after the product was no longer a prototype. As product manager, I was heavily involved with the sales team and as the company grew over the years, I took on more and more responsibilities related to the sales process, such as management of our distributors. Eventually, H3D’s sales director moved to another position within the company and I was selected to take over as Sales Director.

Favorite Student Orgs

As a student, I was heavily involved in Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor’s society. This was a great way to meet other students outside of my major as without joining a large society with a variety of students from different majors, I would have spent all my time with fellow nuclear engineers. So I would suggest students to be cognizant of whether their major allows them to get much cross-over with other majors and if not to join an organization(s) that allow them to meet people outside their major. 

Advice to Students

Some of my best memories from school were attending various sporting events: hockey, basketball and football games. It wasn’t easy to balance homework and other educational responsibilities with the time required to attend all of these sporting events, but I would encourage students to try to take time to attend as much extracurricular events as possible. And if you aren’t into sports, then take advantage of musicals, plays, concerts or whatever it is that you enjoy as the university can offer all of it.

Industries & Occupations

  • National Laboratories
  • Nuclear Power Plants
  • Medicine
  • Medical Physics
  • Water Treatment
  • Environmental Studies
  • Agricultural Research

Companies

  • Homeland Security
  • Department of Defense
  • Naval Nuclear Lab
  • Nukem Technologies
  • EnergySolutions
  • Victoreen
  • Emergence Teleradiology
  • Elektra
  • Merge Healthcare
  • US Nuclear Corp

Salaries

Discover the value of a master’s degree!

On average, U-M graduates with a master’s degree in an engineering field can earn 15-25% more than those with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.  Use the link below to research average salaries based on a U-M engineering master’s degree, experience level, and desired work location.